Chen Suwei became the first Chinese swimmer to cross Hawaii's Molokai Channel on Sunday, advancing toward his goal of swimming the seven major straits of the world.

Chen, 54, from Dongguan, Guangdong province, traveled to Molokai island on Saturday morning and started swimming at midday. It took him 14 hours and 16 minutes to complete the journey, faster than his scheduled 15 hours.

Located between the islands of Molokai and Oahu, the Molokai Channel is known to open-water swimmers as one of the "seven straits" of the world, with a straight-line distance of about 48.5 kilometers.

Unlike other straits, the Molokai Channel has relatively warm water, fast currents, large waves and rich marine life, which presents some special challenges.

In 2019, Chen crossed the English Channel, the Catalina Channel off Los Angeles, California, and a tour around Manhattan island, New York — known as the triple crown to open-water swimmers.